The owners of the VISION House Austin prioritize easy living, made easier with durable, sustainable flooring.
Robert and Judi George love their home in the Hill Country outside Austin, but they are also eager to transition to a home where they can reduce their maintenance chores and gracefully age in place. The Georges own land adjacent to their current home that will be transformed by the VISION House Austin, designed by well-known sustainable architects Peter Pfeiffer and Alan Barley of Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture and built in partnership with Green Builder Media.
The house will serve as a showcase for the way designing a home in harmony with nature and with smart, durable, healthy features can stand up to the harsh Hill Country climate. The Georges and their project partners are committed to choosing sustainable products and systems from companies that are equally committed to sustainability throughout the VISION House Austin.
Among the companies supporting the VISION House Austin is AHF Products, which has a 100-year history of producing flooring products under venerable brand names like Armstrong Flooring, Bruce, Hartco, Robbins, and others.
AHF is dedicated to incorporating environmental stewardship into their manufacturing process and workplaces by responsibly choosing and using energy and raw materials, eliminating waste, and embracing recycling and circular economy principles. The company encourages the development of environmentally friendly technology among its partners as well as internally.
Sustainable Products in the VISION House Austin
Among the durable flooring options in the VISION House Austin will be Crossville Tile, an AHF Products’ brand. Product transparency is provided via an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Health Product Declaration (HPD), and a Declare Label.
An EPD, which is similar to a nutrition label for food, is based on a lifecycle assessment that evaluates the environmental effect of a product at every stage from acquiring the natural resources that go into the product or material, to production, to use, and to the recycling or disposal of the product. HPDs and Declare Labels are disclosures of material ingredient transparency.
“Crossville completed its first EPD in 2014, and by its five-year review in 2019 the company achieved a 10% reduction in energy use,” says Noah Chitty, vice president of sustainability & technical services, AHF Products. “Our goal is to achieve a 30% carbon reduction from the 2014 baseline by 2030.”
Since Crossville Tile branded products and manufacturing processes continue to be impacted by the energy needed for production, its carbon footprint is reduced by purchasing carbon offsets that contribute to sustainability projects.
“We are committed to reduce the carbon footprint of all our manufactured products,” Chitty says. “The more progress we make towards that goal, the less we’ll need to rely on carbon offsets.”
Crossville goes further than many others who practice "cradle to site" or "cradle to gate" carbon reduction, he says.
“We purchase credits that offset the embodied carbon of our tiles through the entire product lifecycle,” Chitty says. “By taking into account the carbon footprint of our tiles from inception through demolition and destruction, our ‘cradle to grave’ carbon credits do more for the environment.”
Hardwood Game Changer
In addition to Crossville Tile, the VISION House Austin will feature Dogwood Pro hardwood flooring, which includes AHF’s Densified Wood technology.
“Densified Wood is a real game-changer for the hardwood flooring buyer, especially those who have pets or kids,” says Milton Goodwin, vice president-product management-hardwood for AHF Products.
“It’s a 100% natural product created using a natural process without fillers, plastics or harsh chemicals. Densified wood delivers scratch-resistant, dent-resistant, and water-resistant protection against everyday wear, pet nails, and pet accidents. It uses a patent-pending process to significantly increase the density of the face veneer using heat and pressure. The result is a dent- and scratch-resistant surface.”
The Dogwood Pro densified real hardwood flooring is twice as hard as typical hardwood flooring, four times more scratch resistant and six times more dent resistant than typical hardwood.
“That level of protection fends off damage from pets as well as children and their toys,” Goodwin says. “It also stands up to heavy foot traffic and delivers waterproof protection, so it can be installed anywhere in the home, including basements, kitchens and bathrooms.”
A new product from AHF, Ingenious Plank, also will be showcased at the VISION House Austin, under the Armstrong Flooring brand name. This hybrid resilient flooring is 100% PVC-free and does not include any ortho-phthalates, halogens, plasticizers, chlorine, heavy metals, or conflict materials.
The core of the Ingenious Plank is composed of natural wood fibers encapsulated within a high-performance resin, incorporating renewable raw materials for an eco-friendly solution. An attached pad offers both comfort and acoustical benefits, and the product is available in 10 wood designs.
“The Ingenious Plank is highly sustainable, and it’s also 100% waterproof, which adds to its durability and longevity while minimizing its environmental impact,” says Drew Wiley, product manager-resilient for AHF Products. “The product is engineered to be dent-proof and scratch-resistant, backed by our 10 year pet scratch warranty, which makes it a good choice for households with kids, pets or a lot of foot traffic.”
Contractors will appreciate the Angle Lock system on the Ingenious Plank, which ensures easy and secure installation. It’s also 40% lighter than traditional rigid core products, which makes it easier to handle during installation.
Among AHF’s family of brands, 100% of solid wood products are made in the U.S. with premium hardwoods such as red and white oak, hickory, maple, and walnut. Overall, 70% of the company’s products are domestically sourced or produced.
Low-Maintenance Living Starts Underfoot
The owners of the VISION House Austin prioritize easy living, made easier with durable, sustainable flooring.
Robert and Judi George love their home in the Hill Country outside Austin, but they are also eager to transition to a home where they can reduce their maintenance chores and gracefully age in place. The Georges own land adjacent to their current home that will be transformed by the VISION House Austin, designed by well-known sustainable architects Peter Pfeiffer and Alan Barley of Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture and built in partnership with Green Builder Media.
The house will serve as a showcase for the way designing a home in harmony with nature and with smart, durable, healthy features can stand up to the harsh Hill Country climate. The Georges and their project partners are committed to choosing sustainable products and systems from companies that are equally committed to sustainability throughout the VISION House Austin.
Among the companies supporting the VISION House Austin is AHF Products, which has a 100-year history of producing flooring products under venerable brand names like Armstrong Flooring, Bruce, Hartco, Robbins, and others.
AHF is dedicated to incorporating environmental stewardship into their manufacturing process and workplaces by responsibly choosing and using energy and raw materials, eliminating waste, and embracing recycling and circular economy principles. The company encourages the development of environmentally friendly technology among its partners as well as internally.
Sustainable Products in the VISION House Austin
Among the durable flooring options in the VISION House Austin will be Crossville Tile, an AHF Products’ brand. Product transparency is provided via an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Health Product Declaration (HPD), and a Declare Label.
An EPD, which is similar to a nutrition label for food, is based on a lifecycle assessment that evaluates the environmental effect of a product at every stage from acquiring the natural resources that go into the product or material, to production, to use, and to the recycling or disposal of the product. HPDs and Declare Labels are disclosures of material ingredient transparency.
“Crossville completed its first EPD in 2014, and by its five-year review in 2019 the company achieved a 10% reduction in energy use,” says Noah Chitty, vice president of sustainability & technical services, AHF Products. “Our goal is to achieve a 30% carbon reduction from the 2014 baseline by 2030.”
Since Crossville Tile branded products and manufacturing processes continue to be impacted by the energy needed for production, its carbon footprint is reduced by purchasing carbon offsets that contribute to sustainability projects.
“We are committed to reduce the carbon footprint of all our manufactured products,” Chitty says. “The more progress we make towards that goal, the less we’ll need to rely on carbon offsets.”
Crossville goes further than many others who practice "cradle to site" or "cradle to gate" carbon reduction, he says.
“We purchase credits that offset the embodied carbon of our tiles through the entire product lifecycle,” Chitty says. “By taking into account the carbon footprint of our tiles from inception through demolition and destruction, our ‘cradle to grave’ carbon credits do more for the environment.”
Hardwood Game Changer
In addition to Crossville Tile, the VISION House Austin will feature Dogwood Pro hardwood flooring, which includes AHF’s Densified Wood technology.
“Densified Wood is a real game-changer for the hardwood flooring buyer, especially those who have pets or kids,” says Milton Goodwin, vice president-product management-hardwood for AHF Products.
“It’s a 100% natural product created using a natural process without fillers, plastics or harsh chemicals. Densified wood delivers scratch-resistant, dent-resistant, and water-resistant protection against everyday wear, pet nails, and pet accidents. It uses a patent-pending process to significantly increase the density of the face veneer using heat and pressure. The result is a dent- and scratch-resistant surface.”
The Dogwood Pro densified real hardwood flooring is twice as hard as typical hardwood flooring, four times more scratch resistant and six times more dent resistant than typical hardwood.
“That level of protection fends off damage from pets as well as children and their toys,” Goodwin says. “It also stands up to heavy foot traffic and delivers waterproof protection, so it can be installed anywhere in the home, including basements, kitchens and bathrooms.”
A new product from AHF, Ingenious Plank, also will be showcased at the VISION House Austin, under the Armstrong Flooring brand name. This hybrid resilient flooring is 100% PVC-free and does not include any ortho-phthalates, halogens, plasticizers, chlorine, heavy metals, or conflict materials.
The core of the Ingenious Plank is composed of natural wood fibers encapsulated within a high-performance resin, incorporating renewable raw materials for an eco-friendly solution. An attached pad offers both comfort and acoustical benefits, and the product is available in 10 wood designs.
“The Ingenious Plank is highly sustainable, and it’s also 100% waterproof, which adds to its durability and longevity while minimizing its environmental impact,” says Drew Wiley, product manager-resilient for AHF Products. “The product is engineered to be dent-proof and scratch-resistant, backed by our 10 year pet scratch warranty, which makes it a good choice for households with kids, pets or a lot of foot traffic.”
Contractors will appreciate the Angle Lock system on the Ingenious Plank, which ensures easy and secure installation. It’s also 40% lighter than traditional rigid core products, which makes it easier to handle during installation.
Among AHF’s family of brands, 100% of solid wood products are made in the U.S. with premium hardwoods such as red and white oak, hickory, maple, and walnut. Overall, 70% of the company’s products are domestically sourced or produced.
Visit the VISION House Austin to learn more .
By Michele Lerner, Associate Editor
Michele Lerner is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and author who writes about real estate, personal finance, and business.Also Read